Studio 14 or 15 hangs or crashes while launching or Starting

This FAQ applies to Studio 14 & 15.

If Studio was launching for some period of time and then it stopped launching, it is best to try to determine what changes have been made to the computer recently and undo the changes to see if it has an affect on the problem. Here's a short list of what could affect Studio's ability to launch:

Load a Windows update or other software update.

The graphics driver was updated

Hardware was installed

For reverting to earlier condition you can do a System restore as steps given below:

1) You have to restart your computer first and have to login as a administrator.2) Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > Tools > System Restore.3) A window will appear on the screen and then click on ‘Restore my machine to an earlier date’ and then click next.4) You have to select latest system point from the “click a restore point” list, after then click Next.5) Then a confirmation screen will appear click Next.6) After completing the trust the system will reboot automatically

If there were no changed made or the System Restore did not help, try the following:

Troubleshooting steps for Studio hangs or crashing while launching (starting)

1. Restart the computer. Try restarting the computer

2. Wait a few minutes: If Studio still won't launch, wait a few minutes to let it finish launching. We have noticed on some computers that it may take a little while for Studio to completely launch. The time it takes to open is system specification dependent.

3. Latest version of Studio. There is no update for Studio 14 and 15 at this time.

4. Safe mode: Try launching Studio in Safe mode. In Safe mode, many device drivers and applications do not load. If Studio will launch in safe mode, then the issue is most likely a configuration problem with your computer. NOTE: We do not recommend using Studio in Safe Mode. This step is for testing purposes only. To start in Safe mode:

Shut down the computer

When you turn it back on, tap the F8 key every couple seconds until a menu pops up. (If the XP splash screen appears, the F8 keys was pressed too late so restart the computer and try this step again)

If it still will not launch then go to step 2 above and make sure Studio is jut not opening slowly.

If it does launch, then reconnect the capture device and wait until the computer loads the driver, and then click on the capture tab

If this works, the go to Setup - capture source and select the correct capture device.

If this does not work go to step 5.2.

5.2. Webcams: If you have a webcam, try the following:

Launch Studio with the webcam unplugged

If this steps works, then the webcam will have to be removed any time that Studio will be able to be launched.

6. Download and reinstall the driver for the graphics card. During the Studio software launch process we do check that you have a DirectX compatible graphics card. Download and reinstall the latest version of the driver for the graphics card that is on your system. Many customers have nVIDIA or ATI graphics cards and the latest driver can be found at:nVIDIA is at: http://www.nvidia.comATI is at: http://www.ati.comIf you need assistance with this step, please contact the support department for the graphics card company.

7. Download and reinstall the driver for the sound card. During the Studio software launch process we do check that you have a sound card and video card that support DirectX. Download and reinstall the latest version of the driver for the sound card that is on your system. If you need assistance with this step, please contact the support department for the sound card company.

8. Remove the sound card from the system. Some older sound cards may not work well with newer versions of Windows. This can be verified by shutting down the computer, removing the sound card and restarting. Obviously this is not practical if the sound device is on the motherboard, as in laptop computers. If Studio now launches, more than likely you need to replace the sound card (if you already updated to the latest drivers in step 3).

9. End background tasks: There are a couple ways to accomplish this. One is to use a Startup Manager. There are many shareware and free ware programs that assist a user in eliminating programs that launch on Startup. Use an Internet search engine such as Google, yahoo, etc to search for "startup managers". We don't recommend/endorse a particular one, but we do suggest you try a couple to see which one works for you and is easy to use.You can also use the Microsoft System Configuration Utility (MSCONFIG), which is part of Windows, to disable programs that launch at startup of Windows. We recommend disabling all programs and then re-enabling them one at a time until the conflicting program is located.Click here to go to the FAQ that describes how to shut down extra background processes.

10. M-Audio Producer USB microphone is connected: In some cases, Studio 14/15 may crash during start up if an M-Audio Producer USB headphone is connected to the system. The solution in this case is to disconnect the microphone while Studio 14/15 is launching. If you need to use the microphone in Studio to record a voice-over, you can reconnect it after Studio has started.